Mr. BARRIEasked the Food Controller if he is aware that the controlled price of salmon is proving a dead loss to the spring salmon fishing in northern 1765W waters, where the higher prices obtained during the early months of the year are required in order to enable these fisheries to pay; if salmon is a luxury fish which is retailed at very high prices in restaurants, and therefore the only effect of controlling the price of early salmon is to put extra profit into the pockets of the restaurant proprietors; and if he will immediately increase the controlled price or raise the control altogether?
§ Mr. McCURDYThe Food Controller is aware that the maximum price for salmon permitted under the Fish (Prices) Order does not provide a large margin of profit at the beginning of the spring season; but this margin becomes relatively higher as the fishing proceeds, and the Food Controller does not agree that the excessively high prices obtained for salmon prior to the restoration of the controlled maximum price on the 2nd February are necessary to enable the salmon fisheries to pay a reasonable profit. The question whether salmon is a luxury is a matter of opinion, but one of the main effects of control has been to make salmon available as a food for all classes. The Food Controller cannot undertake immediately to increase the controlled price or to withdraw control.